Choosing the members of the Homecoming Court is selective, but the Illini Union Board’s Mr. and Ms. University of Illinois Pageant is more so. The event is hosted annually to celebrate well-rounded individuals at the University. Alumna Melanie Matlock is the reigning Miss University of Illinois.

Matlock was a senior in Media when she ran for Ms. University of Illinois during homecoming week during 2012. She said in an email that she originally had no intention of participating in the pageant.

“First, I was just applying to be nice, and I planned on quitting eventually because pageants are just so not me. But I was like, ‘Hey, when am I ever going to have an opportunity to be in a pageant again?’” Matlock wrote. “I knew it was something that would absolutely push me out of my comfort zone, and those experiences are what define you.”

While the Illini Union Board is known for putting on this pageant to celebrate African American culture on campus, Stuti Mehta, IUB president and senior in Media and LAS, said that the pageant is open for all male and female students who wish to run. Mehta and Kelly Uchima, IUB director of traditional programming and junior in ACES, both said they publicized information about pageant applications through emails, flyers on the Quad, and visits to classrooms, cultural centers and residence halls.

Both Uchima and Mehta said that applicants must be involved on campus through various organizations. Matlock was involved in the Illini Union Board, NAACP and the mentor program Creating Opportunity, Recognizing Excellence. She also was a strategic intern at the State Farm Research and Development Center.

“(The pageant) is a great way to recognize campus leaders,” Mehta said. “It gives credit to people who have achieved a lot of different things on campus.”

Uchima agreed with Mehta, adding that the pageant gives credit to individuals who may not have the opportunity to be recognized otherwise.

“It’s a great opportunity to see a group of students who are not usually celebrated. You get to meet other students who are inspiring,” she said.

Components of the pageant include a talent portion, Q-and-A segment, and display of formal attire. According to Mehta, Matlock painted an awe-inspiring picture in the two-minute time period to showcase talents during the pageant.

“The talents are mind-boggling,” Mehta said.

Matlock couldn’t believe she was crowned Ms. University of Illinois, and she was proud of the accomplishment.

“I was elated after winning. I thought it was the coolest thing ever to be able to say, ‘I’m Ms. U of I!’ I wasn’t selected to be in the homecoming court, so it was very much one of those ‘when one door closes, a better one opens’ moments,” Matlock wrote.

Professionals from various Student Affairs departments judge the pageant, and all students and community members are welcome to attend, Uchima said.

Mehta said the pageant is an important asset to homecoming week.

“Homecoming is a time that all Illini students can come together and celebrate our school. It’s about being an Illini,” Mehta said.

Matlock also had some words of advice for current candidates. This year, five students will be competing in the pageant. 

“My advice to current candidates is to view the pageant like a campaign for yourself,” Matlock wrote. “What is the one thing you want the judges to believe and feel about you? How can you tailor each section of the pageant (and) deliver that key message in a different way? … It’s not so much what you do or say, but how you make the audience feel when you do or say it.”

The Mr. and Ms. University of Illinois Pageant will take place Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Illini Union’s I-Rooms.

The IUB will also host two related events for the pageant. A free lunch will be served on the Quad on Monday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., while supplies last. Sbarro will be served as well as orange and blue drinks to celebrate. Vice Chancellor Phyllis Wise is scheduled to attend.

The Illini Union Board will also hold a dance party at CRCE on Saturday. While the event is similar to the pageant in that it celebrates African-American culture, it is open for everyone to attend. The event will also feature DJ Matrix, who has performed at previous Illini Union Board events, including last year’s CRCE dance party and Illinois Union Board Late Nighter event during Welcome Week. Tickets are $10 for students and $15 for non-students. 

Mara can be reached at [email protected].